Cats and Wolves
by Crystal di Angelo
Summary: Izumo sits alone on the roof after her mother's death. Rin joins her. One-shot Suggested by Wolf-Dragon Hybrid Samurai. Hope that you like how it turned out!


_Requested by Wolf-Dragon Hybrid Samurai, for Rin and Izumo interacting. Since you didn't specify what kind of interaction, I'm just going with what's canon-friendship and the occasional blushing._

 _Cats and Wolves_

"So…are you okay?" Izumo tensed a little at the sudden sound, but then relaxed a little as she realized that it was only a particular blue-haired idiot. She hadn't heard him coming, lost in her thoughts as she was. Near silent footsteps padded closer, and finally Rin lowered himself to sit beside her, gazing out at True Cross Town, alight and alive even in the darkness of night. The cool night air blew at them, and the vertigo of looking down the twenty-storied building thrilled Izumo.

Rin swung his legs mindlessly, cocking his head to get a better look at Izumo.

"…what?" She couldn't bear the staring anymore and spat out. "Quit looking at me! Just spit it out!"

"Sorry…I just thought that you might want company…Sitting here alone like this is kinda lonely, you know?" Rin adopted the look of a kicked puppy, scuffing the sole of his shoe against the building's wall and casting his eyes downwards.

"And you would know?" Izumo huffed, but didn't try to chase him away anymore.

Rin didn't answer immediately, but looked her over once again, which was starting to annoy her.

"Well…" He said slowly. "It's just-I'm worried. We're all worried, Kamiki. I mean, we don't expect you to be immediately okay after your mom died and you still have no news of your little sister-what was her name again? Tsukomo-chan?"

"Tsukumo?" Izumo started for a moment, then remembered that she had decided to keep it a secret. Apparently Shiemi had kept her word and not let a word of it leak, not even to Rin, whom she was always clinging to like an annoying brat. "Yeah…"

"So really, it's okay if you want to be alone. I mean…if you want to let it out, you can." Rin looked as awkward as she felt, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand. He started to rock a little and Izumo glanced warily beneath them, afraid that Rin might fall off if he was not careful. He was clumsy enough on solid ground, not to mention here. "I lost my dad too, and well…for a moment there I thought I'd lost Yukio. You have it worse than me though…but-"

"Stop it!" Izumo was on her feet now, fury coursing through her, a swift river of hot, burning anger. "Don't say that…don't keep saying that! I don't understand you! First Shiemi, now you…I don't get you at all! You're the Son of Satan…people are out for your blood, your dad died on you! So how…" She paused, almost biting down on her tongue as she watched Rin scoot closer to her cautiously and lean back a little as Izumo continued. "How can you say that I have it worse than you?! I don't want your pity!"

To her surprise, Rin smiled and it infuriated her even more. "Why do you _smile_?! I'm yelling at you! You aren't supposed to smile!"

"Nothing, just that you're finally shouting." Rin continued smiling, dangling his legs over the roof. "And no, I'm not pitying you…it's just that you act so _strong_ all the time, and you gotta let your mouth down sometime."

"It's let your hair down, stupid." Izumo huffed. "And you're no better. Rushing into every situation alone. Because, what, you think we aren't capable enough? Or that your life is less valuable?"

"…" Rin obviously couldn't say that it was the first one, and the second one…he didn't know. All he knew was that he wanted them to be safe, and he was selfishly doing anything possible for that outcome to happen. "You know…I don't think you're incapable. Or that my life is less valuable. If the old man said so…he can't be wrong." Steel glinted in Rin's eyes.

Izumo grew curious at the mention of Rin's father. She knew he died, obviously, the previous Paladin already had his name blackened in the Exorcist world for harboring the sons of Satan. His death was used as a warning to all demon sympathizers. Thankfully, Rin was kept blissfully oblivious from all of this. Okumura-sensei though…there was no way that he didn't know. "He said that?" It didn't sound like a normal conversation a father and his rebellious son would have.

"Not directly. But," Rin decided to just tell her. No point in keeping it a secret. "He gave his life for mine, which means mine must be worth something. I want to prove that he's right in making that decision. That's why I _will_ become the Paladin! And show everyone that the old man's damned right!"

" _Come back to me," Fingers wrapped in rough bandages pressed to her head. "I humbly beg of you."_

Her mother…did the same thing too.

"…I don't think you have to prove anything."

"What?" Rin looked over, confused. "But, there has to be a reason that he saved me."

Izumo bit down on her lip, hard, drawing blood-blood that came from her mother-and said, "There is a reason. Not just one reason either. For you to live on happily. Because he loves you. Because you're his most beloved treasure. Because he's your _father_. Because," Izumo remembered her mother's dying breaths.

" _You're Tama-chan's…" A happy, pure smile on her dying mother's lips as she pulled her daughter close. "…treasure."_

"Because." She repeated. "Parents don't need a reason to do so."

Rin looked up, not down at the magnificent city view, but up at the cloudless, dark skies. "I…" He started, then stopped. He tried again, "I…" Then stopped again, as he found that he could not say anything. His throat tightened and he pulled his dangling legs up, much to Izumo's relief. "Daddy…?"

It was so soft but Izumo barely heard it, but she was pretty sure that the bright, sunny, occasional punk, rebellious, lazy Rin had just said daddy.

Izumo paused for a second, then awkwardly reached over to hug him.

Rin hugged back and the two orphans laid in each other's comforting arms for a long, long time.

" _It's alright, everyone…is by your side."_

" _Rin…someday, you'll become a popular guy, with lots and lots of friends!"_


End file.
